Rich People More Prone to Cancer

People residing in wealthy areas are more likely to get certain types of cancer than those living in poorer zones, according to a report by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Rich People More Prone to Cancer

The report revealed that richer people were more likely to get breast, prostate and skin cancer, and poorer people were more likely to suffer bowel, cervical and lung cancers, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

There was a large difference in lung cancer incidence, with about 35 per 100,000 people being diagnosed in high socio-economic areas compared to about 50 in 100,000 in low socio-economic districts.

For breast cancer, the rate was 106 per 100,000 people in low socio-economic areas compared to about 122 per 100,000 in high socio-economic areas.

For skin cancer, the rate was 42 per 100,000 people in low socio-economic areas and 52 per 100,000 in high socio-economic areas.

With prostate cancer, it was 160 per 100,000 in low socio-economic areas compared to 185 per 100,000 in high socio-economic areas, and for cervical cancer, it was 8 per 100,000 in low socio-economic areas and 6 per 100,000 in high socio-economic areas.

Paul Grogan, the director of advocacy at the Cancer Council Australia, said higher cancer rates in poor areas were not surprising, given higher rates of smoking among disadvantaged groups and lower rates of screening for cancers.

For the wealthier areas, Grogan said breast cancer had long been called a "wealthy woman's disease" because it tended to strike those who lived longer and were therefore more privileged.

Those who either delayed pregnancy or did not have children were also at slightly greater risk and tended to fall into the wealthier groups in society, he said.

Grogan said the higher rate of prostate cancer was partly explained by the longer life span for wealthier people, and he said the skin cancer rate was probably a result of the intense exposure to UV rays that people experience if they generally work indoors, but enjoy leisurely activities in short bursts.

Your comments are automatically posted once they are submitted. All comments are however constantly reviewed for spam and irrelevant material (such as product or personal advertisements, email addresses, telephone numbers and website address). Such insertions do not conform to our policy and 'Terms of Use' and are either deleted or edited and republished.Please keep your comments brief and relevant.This section may also have questions seeking help. If you have the information you are welcome to respond, but please ensure that the information so provided is genuine and not misleading.

Disclaimer - All information and content on this site are for information and educational purposes only. The information should not be used for either diagnosis or treatment or both for any health related problem or disease. Always seek the advice of a qualified physician for medical diagnosis and treatment.Full Disclaimer